LESSONS TO LEARN !

Yesterday we went to our first dog classes :)

It felt like a huge thing for us - we have been talking about it for a while, and now we finally got in touch with a dog trainer. We have such good dogs, but they are probably good more because... well... they just ARE, and not so much because we have done everything right. And also, after we got dog number two, it became more apparent that it would be good to have a LITTLE bit more control. Especially when we go for off-leash walks, it can be really tricky to call them - they basically go wherever they want, come whenever they want, and expect us to be there :)

And so we went... And, yep, there are things to learn :) The dog trainer was great - really good with the dogs, very energetic, very clear, very interesting! So - what was the most important lesson?? That we are not enough interesting for the dogs!! That somewhat felt like a small punch in the stomach. Yes, the dogs are happy and safe, they are physically well trained, we go for long walks every day. But, especially when it comes to Maja, we don't play with her enough. And it is true: we don't spend much time playing with the dogs.. The trainer spent some time playing tug-of-war with Maja, really physical and really loud. Wow, it was so clear how much fun Maja had, and I really felt bad there and then - it was like we had taken something away from her.

So - these are our tasks.
- We have to get a little bit more unpredictable, so the dogs will expect something nice, they just shouldn't know what!

- When we go for walks, we have to take a chance and leave them behind. No waiting, no cuddling when they finally decide to catch up. We go, and the dogs will have to find out themselves that they have to pay attention. If we stop to wait, we start walking again immediately when the dogs come.

- Names are for positive feedback only.. (Yeah, it has been a little bit too much of the; MAJA, COME HERE).

- And playing! Especially with Maja. Not much, just some few minutes, but then really intense and really loud.

It is weird - after spending so many hours watching dog programs on TV and talking about bad dog owners, the finger was now pointing at us :D But that is great - we now have a trainer we like, tasks to do.. I think it will be good fun, both for the dogs and us :)

WAGGING EASTER

Easter came, wagged, and left.. It really was some beautiful days, warm and nice. Sunday was so warm that if it hadn't been for the fact that I had a concert on Monday, I would have taken a swim :)

It is starting to get green everywhere, lawns are green and during the last couple of days, trees have been sprouting leaves like crazy. It is this sharp, sharp green colour that you can only see these days. Somehow, the older I get, the more I appreciate exactly these few days, where everything is new and fresh.

The girls are enjoying spring, too. We were again talking about it; how fantastic it must feel for Stella to be able to roam around freely, to sniff and experience everything she wants to.

Maja has not forgotten her swimming skills from last summer, and is happily taking a swim now and then :) Besides from her duck hunt a couple of weeks ago, Stella is not into swimming - she loves walking in water, it just doesn't seem like she has found a good reason for WHY she would swim yet :)

So - here are some pictures of the dynamic easter duo; checking out water and the scent of some mysterious animals that have been there before them.

Easter.... ehmmm.... bunnies???

 This has to be the most adorable pictures of Easter Bunnies that I have seen in my life :)
 http://mogley-adogslife.blogspot.com/2011/04/getting-ready-for-easter.html

Photo models

 

Aren't these nice portrait pictures? :)
They are taken by a good friend of us, Gabija Jakimaviciute 

Reunion coming up

Just found out today that they are planning a reunion in May of all the dogs that were rescued from Trakai in October; the group that Stella and Rio - the German Shepherd that I wrote about in an earlier post - came from. I am so excited about it that I can hardly wait :) It seems like all the dogs are in good shape and living good lives, and it will be so good to see them as happy dogs, as I have seen most of them only in pictures from October, and there they look like living skeletons. And it will be interesting to see how they will react to meeting each other. Oh, come May :)

Good luck, Rio

Rio is a German shepherd that was saved from the same place as Stella. Up until now he has been living with a foster family that must have taken so good care of him :) This is a picture of Rio before and after.
Both pictures belong to Pifas' website. Please visit them and - if you somehow can - support them! They do a fantastic job!

Now it is time for Rio to find a permanent home, and who could read his CV without smiling:

"I am in Rio. My name is nice and clear - just like I am. I am a very simple dog that can be described in a few words: quiet, friendly and cute. I do not require long walks and outdoor games the whole day. A small walk and a little playing from time to time is enough for me, so if you, my future host, don't want to be very active with me with me every day, that's ok. I do not want to appear demanding or needy, but I have a special request for my future family. I can not live in the yard. I find a common language not only with human beings but also animals, apparently because of my calm and peaceful manner."

Good luck, Rio. We hope you'll find a home where you'll never have to sleep outside, where you get all the care and loving that you deserve. Your new owners will be so lucky to have a dog like you :)

The Three Signs of Spring

There are Three Signs of Spring, and I saw them all today: Pussy willows, liverleafs and me cleaning my bike :)

Spring and swimming

Spring is coming. It is hereby declared and official. True - it should have been here a long time ago in Vilnius, and, true, it is not very warm, but it is definitely here. All the snow has disappeared - maybe a long time ago, but I just came back from the northern part of Norway, where there is still plenty! - and birds are singing. A combination of spring and Sunday is the best thing there is; enough time to load the car, drive to some good place and go for an extra long walk. Trakai is one of our favorite places, so Trakai it was. There is a long path around the Trakai lake, plenty of grass to run on, water to check out, other dogs around houses surrounding the lake. In short - a heaven for dogs. Both Stella and Maja had their first swim for the season - for all we know, it could be Stella's VERY first swim. She is a hunter, oh yes: there were some strange squeaking ducks close to the shore, so she immediately got into hunting mode, crawled towards the water and ATTACKED. The ducks were of course far to fast for her, but I think she was pretty happy anyway. Maja was satisfied with hunting a stick that we threw into the water. Yeah, that is a difference we have noticed: Stella is a hunter (!!). Maja is no hunter, if you don't count the mouse she killed last summer (!!!). Maja is our little thief, joyfully (and not hidden at all) borrowing what others have gathered :D It was a wonderful walk, both for dogs and people. May we have many like that one in the next weeks and months :)

BEFORE AND AFTER

The before pictures were taken by Pifas - the animal welfare organisation that saved Stella - in mid-autumn 2010. You HAVE to believe me - it really is the same dog!!

And then there were two

(Genesis: "And then there were three" 1978 )

And then there were two dogs. One little ballerina and one big ox :)
It doesn't feel so long time ago that we didn't think about having ONE dog. Not so long time ago we had no thought of getting number two, and even when we agreed to foster Stella, we didn't have any (expressed) plan to get a second dog permanently.

One and a half month ago or so we had to make a decision if to keep her or not, and the choice was easy when we looked at Maja and Stella together; the Dynamic Duo, the Golden Gang, the inseparable pack. They belong together and Stella belongs together with us :)

This is old news (sorry - I have been away for a while), but here are some NEW news: We wrote earlier that we had found out a bit about Stella's history. Finding her name was an important part of the puzzle! And Stella even has a pedigree! She is now a registered dog, and we have her family tree! She is the proud daughter and grand-daughter of a lot of award-winning dogs.

Her full name is "STELLA GOLDEN RIVER".
Now, isn't that nice?

WAGGING DAYS

Up until now, we have had a blog with the address "majadog". Even if the name of the blog was "Golden Days", it didn't feel completely fair, now that the blog belongs to more than Maja. So, I switched address and name. Welcome to "Wagging days" :) Maja and Stella are happily wagging their way through the days, and so are their parents. Hopefully we'll make the blog wag a little together with us.